casting away
During cherry blossom season the city is very busy, so I had to split my stay between two hotels. I took the subway a few blocks north and dropped my bags at the Hotel Monterey Kyoto ホテルモントレ京都, then returned to the main station to change to the JR Sagano Line 嵯峨野線 and head west to Saga-Arashiyama Station 嵯峨嵐山駅. Leaving the main station the track runs to the north at first, then turns directly west and glides above the buildings towards Arashiyama 嵐山 (literally “storm mountain”). If there's an urban version of the Three Views of Japan 日本三景, riding this elevated line should be one of them.
After descending from the station I grabbed a bite from the café outside and crouched to eat it by a black steam locomotive that was on display, under the sakura 桜 in front of it that wavered, full of flowers, in the increasing breeze. Then, among other tourists that quietly milled past the shops and houses, I followed the road towards Arashiyama Station 嵐山駅 and the main street.
Further on is the Katsura River 桂川, but before that I diverted to see the gardens of Tenryū-ji 天龍寺, a Zen Buddhist temple. Above, its Sōgen Pond 曹源池, designated a tokubetsu meishō 特別名勝 – a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.